Kinda cross posting some of this but I figure this is a good place for this info.

I posted some pics a back on the 7th after I picked up my RIA Tactical. One issue I've had is with the gip safety. It would not release the trigger until the grip safety was in solid contact with the frame which was causing problems as you might expect. I took a few passes with a file on the extension that blocks the trigger and it was better. I took a few more and it's better still. If I rush my presentation and come up with an imperfect grip I can still have a situation where the trigger is blocked. After these adjustments it's disengaging at approx 75% travel, and without measuring it looks like both my Kimbers need a bit more movement than that to disengage, although the safeties are of different shapes which has an effect on the grip obviously. Perhaps I'm getting close, it's easy to do so I'll go slow with fitting it.

Other things I've done to this gun so far: I have removed the ambi safety and fitted and Ed Brown "tactical" safety, removed the full length guide rod in favor of an EB GI rod and plug, changed out the sear pin for one of standard length, installed an EB extended mag release and some VZ grips.

After all of this and including my last adjustment to the GS I shot it a bit yesterday, at this point the gun had about 150 rounds through it. The gun bound up just prior to going into battery after I had fired about 25 rounds. After I cleared it I cold see no reason why so I field stripped it and discovered that the barrel link pin had walked out to the left and was contacting the frame... I centered the pin and VERY lightly staked it so I could finish what I was doing, but I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't just send it in and have it all checked out. I suppose that would be an opportunity to have some decent sights installed, what with the odd dovetail I'm still trying to figure out what to do about that.

Sorry you are having so many problems with your new pistol, it sounds like you have fixed them all yourself so you must have some know how to be able to fix them yourself. I think you have done all you can do without voiding your warranty. if you start to grind on the pistol, or mess with the sear or hammer fit, you have gone to far. IMO. hope it's running for you now, keep us posted.

NIGHT AL, thanks for the input. I got it cheap, as mentioned in the other thread, and expected to work on it. Heck I want to work on it to learn! The issue with the barrel is a little troubling though. It does need to be reliable, that's not negotiable. I haven't decided what to do with it yet as far a sending it in, I may give them a call.

Here's what I've done between flying a bunch of missions lately and working on my wife's friends car...

I did make some more adjustment to the grip safety and I'm very, very pleased with how it works now. I found that by adjusting the angles, taking just a tiny bit more materiel off, lightly polishing and cold blueing again it works super smooth and positive. I now know that it was WAY off as delivered.

The Ed Brown thumb safety fits good, as expected there was quite a bit of materiel to remove. It operates perfectly and allows zero sear movement so I got that right, but it could be a little more crisp. I don't know enough to make that happen yet.

The Ed Brown extended magazine release is great! Quite a lot of materiel to remove here also, but it was easy to fit. It needed fitting both where it mounts in the frame and at the catch, mostly at the catch.

I do like the GI guide rod and plug very much for this gun, inexpensive and you just swap the parts with the stock stuff. Those are EB parts too.

The VZ grips are great so far too, very nice feel. We'll see how they hold up.

MY Okie modified sights are actually working quite well for me, but I still want to change them out after I get everything else sorted.

Two things you can do to make the safety more crisp, you can buy a new plunger spring or stretch the old one to see if that works,or and make the detent hole in the safety a little deeper, be careful it does not take much to mess it up, don't get it to deep.

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